The placenta is a large organ that develops during pregnancy that attaches to the wall of your uterus, and the baby’s umbilical cord arises from it. The umbilical cord connects the placenta to the baby. Blood from the mother passes through the placenta, filtering oxygen, glucose and other nutrients to your baby via the umbilical cord. The placenta also filters out substances that could be harmful to the baby and removes carbon dioxide and waste products from the baby’s blood. KEY WORDS: Placenta, pregnancy, blood, umbilical cord.